The IRS’s free online filing system is now available to half the country

The average American tax filer spends more than $200 on tax prep each year, often through tax softwares like TurboTax, H&R Block or TaxSlayer. But the IRS has been piloting a free filing system, Direct File, and it’s now available to people in 25 states. Plus, consumers are more downbeat on the economy, and the Trump administration is offering a sort of buyout package to federal workers.